Apparatus for releasing auto door latches



April 15, 1969 J. J. KONOPACKI A APPARATUS FOR RELEASING AUTO DOOR LATCHES Filed June 13, 1967 INVFNTOR. JU LIA N J. KONOPACKI ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 81--3 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tool for unlatching a liftable door latch of an automotive vehicle having a pair of front and back roll-up windows adjoining each other at vertical edges between which a blade may be inserted to pry the windows apart to provide a space through which the tool may be inserted from the outside of the vehicle. The tool comprises a plurality of elongated rod sections pivotally joined to each other in end-to-end relation to provide (1) an unlocking rod section at one end of the tool, (2) a handle rod section at the other end of the tool, and (3) at least one intermediate rod section between the handle and unlocking rod sections. The unlocking section has a hook at a free end thereof adapted to engage the latch, and the handle section may be grasped and held at an angle to the other rod sections, so that the handle section may be held and manipulated outside the window to engage the hook with the latch inside the vehicle and to lift the latch for unlocking a door of the vehicle. The rod sections are foldable due to the pivotal interconnection thereof to reduce the length of the tool for storage.

This invention relates to an apparatus for releasing auto door latches and has particular reference to an elongated rod that is forced between the door and window glass, to be inserted downwardly and to have hooking engagement with the latch of the door.

The invention contemplates a rod having a lifting handle at one end and a latch engaging hook at its opposite end and with a handle or other tool adapted to be forced between the panels of the door so as to form an opening for the insertion of the rod and then to swing the rod downwardly, where its hook can be engaged with the latch button of the vehicle and then by pulling up wardly upon the rod, the latch can be released.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings: 1

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an automobile, having door and window panels and a button type of latch,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a rod to be engaged with the button and to lift it upwardly,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a tool, constituting a wedge for forming an opening between the two panels for the entry of the rod, and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the rod in a collapsed position.

Referring specifically to the driwings, the numeral 5 designates an automobile, having glass panels 6 and 7 for covering a window opening 8 and with the window opening having a sill through which projects a door latch 9 of button type. The front window panel 7 is slidably engaged with the panel 6 and it becomes necessary that an opening be formed between the two panels in order to insert a rod, indicated as a whole by the numeral 10 ice and to swing the rod downwardly for hooking engagement with the button 9.

In FIGURE 3, there has been illustrated a tool that is inserted between the two panels, to form an opening for the passage of the rod 10. The rod 10 is formed of multiple sections 11, 12, 13 and 14 and the sections 1114 are hingedly connected together by rivets 15, whereby the rod, shown in FIGURE 4 may be collapsed or folded, when not in use. The free end of the section 11 is provided with a hook 16, that has fitment over the button 9 and the free end of the section 14 is provided with a handle 17 whereby to lift the rod upwardly, after the hook 16 has been engaged with the button 9. The tool, illustrated in FIGURE 3 comprises a fiat strip of metal 18, having a stop lug 19 adjacent one end, to limit the movement of the tool between the panels 6 and 7.

In the use of the device, the rod is spread open, as illustrated in FIGURE 2 and then the hooked end 16 is inserted through the opening formed by the tool 18 and guided downwardly within the automobile and swung in a direction to cause the hook 16 to engage the button 9. The rod is then shifted upwardly by the handle 17 causing the button 9 to be released from its latching mechanism. The tool 18 is provided with an aperture 20 and the tool and the rod, as illustrated in FIGURE 4 is placed in overlying relation with respect to each other and the rod and the tool 18 are attached to any suitable opening within the pan beneath the hood of the automobile such, constituting a storage for the apparatus and, when the vehicle operator finds that he has misplaced his keys, he merely lifts the hood and removes this unlatching mechanism and by simple application of the device, the button 9 can be readily released.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a very novel form of latch release has been provided, the parts are few and simple, are strong, durable, compactly stored, cheap to manufacture and greatly facilitates the latch release for a vehicle latch button to avoid breakage of glass in order to gain access to the interior of the vehicle.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A collapsible tool for unlatching a liftable door latch of an automotive vehicle having a pair of front and back roll-up windows adjoining each other at vertical edges between which a blade may be inserted to pry the windows apart to provide a space through which the tool may be inserted from the outside of the vehicle, the door latch being located on a door sill at the base of one of the windows, said tool comprising a plurality of straight elongated rod sections pivotally joined to each other in end-to-end relation to provide (1) an unlocking rod section at one end of the tool, (2) a handle rod section at the other end of the tool, and (3) at least one intermediate rod section between the handle and unlocking rod sections and pivotally connected thereto at ends thereof, said unlocking section having a hook at a free end thereof adapted to engage the latch, and said handle section being adapted to be grasped and held at an angle to the other rod sections, so that said unlocking and intermediate sections may be inserted through a space between said windows above said latch formed by prying with said blade while said handle section is held with one hand outside the windows at an angle to said other sections and manipulated to hookingly engage said hook with said latch and lifted to unlatch said latch, said rod sections being foldable due to the pivotal interconnection thereof to place the same in side-by-side relation and thereby greatly reduce the length of said tool for storage. I 2. The tool as claimed in claim 1 in which said handle rod section curves through an arc at the free end thereof to facilitate grasping of said handle section.

3. The tool as claimed in claim 2 in combination with a blade device for prying said windows apart, said blade device comprising an elongated, rigid strap having a blade at one end thereof and a combination handle and anchoring portion laterally oflYset from but parallel to said blade portion and adjoining the same, said anchoring portion having an opening therein for receiving a screw to permit said device to be attached to a panel of the vehicle over said tool to hold said tool in place, and said blade portion having a lug formed thereon forming a stop to limit insertion of said blade portion between said windows.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,027,009 1/1936 Wyscaver 813 2,212,267 8/1940 Hudson 24-40 2,885,917 5/1959 Smith 813 ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner. R. V. PARKER, JR., Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 70465 

